Bottle holding and dispensing cabinet



April 15, 1930.

I. I I i y;

. eng mm r 5 y "E J. J. scHwElTzER 1,754,487

BOTTLE HOLDING AND DISPENSING CABINET Filed sept. 29, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 15, 1930.

J J. SCHWEITZEAR BOTTLE HOLDING AND DISPENSING CABINET Filed Sept. 29, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 15, 1930 PATENT oFFlcE JOHN SCHWEITZER, OF SANDUSKY, GI-IO BOTTLE AHOLDING AND DISPENSING `CABINET 4Application filed September 29, 1927. `Serial No. 222,763.

i This invention provides a bottle holding when compared with any of the now known 5 cabinets of this type.`

The main difficulty now experienced by the owners and users of cabinets or machines for holding and dispensing bottles of cooled drinks is the removal of broken glass from the interior ofthe machine. In the types of cabinets now available the removal of` any glass resultingfrom the fracture of a bottle in the holder is necessary for the proper functioning of the device.`

This invention contemplates `overcoming the above disadvantage in two ways, primarily by` reducing the liability of any bottles contained in the holder to break, and, secondly, by so designing the cabinet that` the removal of any fragments of broken bottles is greatly facilitated.

In carrying out these ideas bottle holding T units of circular formation are carried on a shaft extending through openings in their respective centers in such a manner that the shaft maybe readilyremoved when the occasion arises. This shaft` is mounted in a cabinet'of novel design which provides for the removal of any ofthe units contained therein after the" shaft has been withdrawn from the opening in the holden An important feature of this invention 1s the manner in which the bottles are supported in the various unit holders. B v individually holding each bottle removed rom another the possibility of their becomin broken by bearing against each other is o viated. In

` many of the dispensing cabinets now on the market the movement of the bottles through the machine is provided for by the bearing of one bottle against another. It` will be apparent that this invention completely departs from this idea and, therefore, does not include its inherent disadvantages.

By including structure in the cabinet that cooperates with the units mounted therein,

in holding the bottles in position2 the construction of these holding` units 1s greatly simplified, and it is to be remembered that it isthe simple construction of these parts that permits of their being taken out of the cabinet and glass removed therefrom Without entailing any substantial amount of work.

A more particular object of this invention is to design a cover for a cabinet that provides for the dispensing of bottles contained in the cabinet during the ordinary operation of the device and which may be removed when it is` desired to take out one of the bottle holding units. T

Another highly important feature of this invention is to provide a cabinet which allows each bottle to be completely immersed in a refrigerantfor a period of time sufliciently long to completely cool the same.

A still further object of this invention which is of paramount importanceV is to provide in a dispensing cabinet bottle holding units which will accommodate bottles of varying size. This end is attained by including in the construction of the bottle holding units neck receiving members which are detachably connected to the remainder of the unit structure so that neck supporting members of the required size maybe availed of when needed.

Various other more detailed objects and advantages will in part become apparent and in part be stated as the description of the invention progresses.

For a complete understanding of the invention reference maybe had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective of a bottle holding and dispensing cabinet made in accordance with the invention, with the front thereof broken away.

Figure 2 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 2-2 ofFigure l, looking in the direction of the arrows, with parts broken away.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross sectional view taken from the side. y

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross sectional view, similar to Figure 2, illustrating more clearly the construction of the disc like bottle holders.

A bottle holding and dispensing cabinet, as shown in Figure l, comprises generally the ing 1a The end o bottle displaying and storing portion A and the cooling and dispensing part B. The portion A of the cabinet is so designed that ottles, C, may be arranged therein in an attractive manner for displaying and advertising purposes. Both the portions A and B may be made of any suitable material, such as wood or metal, which is finished in any manner desired. In the preferred form of my invention, however, the portion Bis made from wood that is covered both inter-iorly and exteriorly by metal. This provides a cabinet that is water tight in all respects and also very pleasing in appearance. I

The part B has front and rear faces 1 and 2, along the top edges o f which extends supporting flanges 3, Vwhich may be secured to aces 1 and 2 in any conventional manner, such as by screws. A U-shaped trough like bottle su porting member 4 is suspended from theflanges 3 to which it is affixed. This U-shaped member 4 is preferably made from sheet metal and is perforated to permit a refrigerant, Such as brine, to freely circulate therethrough. For securing this member to the su porting flanges 3 the sides of the U- shaped) member 4 terminate in flanges which may be turned over and embedded in the members 3. Obviouslyany equivalent connection between these parts could be availed of, asdesired: Locatedin the portion Bof the cabinet, but exterior of the bottle supporting member 4, is a refrigerating coil 5 which is connected to an electric refrigerating plant by a ipe 6. The electric refrigerating plant, toget ier with the coil, provides for the cooling of the refrigerant contained in the cabinet toany desired degree of temperature.

While I prefer to employ electric refrigeration as the means for cooling the cabinet it is intended to be within the scope of the invention to make use of any conventional method for obtaining the desired temperature of the refrigerant. l Obviously ice could be placed in the space between the walls of the cabinet and the member 4.

As it will be desirable at times to drain the refrigerant from the cabinet, either partially or entirely, suitable valve mechanism for this purpose is provided at 7.

, One side of the cabinet is designated by the reference character 8 and has a bearing 9 in the inner face thereof. The reference character 1 0 denotes the other side of the cabinet which has an opening 11 therein. Lining the circumferential wall ofthe opening 11y is-a b shing 12'which is rigidly fastened to the side 10, as by a flange 13. The interiorpertion of bushing 12 is provided with exterior threads for abpurpose to be hereinafter described. A shaft 14, preferably of tiibular formation with closed ends, is adapted to have one end thereof seat in the bearing 9 while the'other end passes through the bushthe shaft adjacent the opening 11 is larger in circumference than the remainder of the shaft so as to form a cap member from which depends a flange 15 that isv provided with an interior screw threaded surface for cooperation with the screw threads of the bushing 12 in holding the shaft in position. The cap portion may be provided with a non-circular recess 16 which is adapted to have the head of a wrench fit therein for the purpose of rotating the shaft 14.

Bottle holding units 17 are adapted to be mounted on the sha-ft 14 in such a manner that they will rotate thereon or be drivably connected therewith, as may be desired. The units 17 comprise a disc portion 18, having a peripheral flan fe 19 in which are spaced openings 20. The openings 20 are surrounded by circular flanges 21 that are adapted to support one of the bottles C. At the center of each of the disc portions 18 is an opening through which the shaft 14 passes.

Connectedrto each of the disc portions 18, by any suitable detachable fastening means,

is a bottle supporting hub lmember 22.

Equidist'antly spaced around the hub members 22 are neck receiving recesses 2,3, which are in alignment with the openings 2O in the peripheral flange 19, the number of recesses 23 corresponding to the number of openings 20. These recesses 23 vare adapted to receive the small end or neck-of a bottle andI cooperate with flanges y21 in supporting the bottles in the units. It will be apparent that any bottles thatare inclinefdwith their heads in a downward position will be supported and held in place by these parts. l The U-shaped supporting member 4 has its bend portion so spaced from the hubs 22 of the bottle holding units that when bottles are inclined with their caps disposed upwardly they will rest against `this supporting member and be held in position by the flange 21 and said supporting member 4. The units may be adapted to accommodate any size of bottle by making use of the proper size hub member. Obviously a small size hub would adapt the holder to large size bottles, while a larger hub member wld accommodate the smaller ones.

In the ordinary operation of the dispensing cabinet the bottles contained therein are removed when they are in a position at the top ofthe holding units. A top or cover 24 is provided with longitudinal openings 25 through which the bottles may pass when it is desired to remove the same. Closure members 26 are hinged at the sides of the o enings 25 to closethe same when desired. T ere are as many of the openings 25 as there are bottle holding units, s that the bottles from one unit will pass through one of the openings, while bottles from another nnit will be reached through another opening, the openings 25 being in alignment with the openings 20 in e'ac'h of the units.v The cover 24 is relli) movable with respect to the portion B of the cabinet, orit may be hinged thereto, according to the desires of the owner of the cabinet, so that'it may be placed out of the way when it is found necessary to remove one of very slight. However, if one of the bottles should become fractured the fragments of y p glass may be removed by first draining a sufficient amount of the refrigerant tol bring the level thereof below the opening 11, whereupon the shaft 2O may be withdrawn from the center of the unit containing the broken glass, the cover 24 is then removed or swung away on its hinges and the desired unit lifted upward and the glass removed, The machine is reassembled for normal operation by replacing the removed unit, properly positioning the cover and returning the Shaft to its regular place where it is held by the screw threaded bushing l2 and the cap on the shaft.

In order to bring the bottles to the position at the top of the cabinet, where they may be removed, it is necessary to rotate the bottle holding units 17. This may be done by applying pressure in the proper direction on these units through either of the openings 25 when the units are rotatably mounted on the shaft 14, or by making use of a wrench which may be inserted in the recess 16 an-d the shaft 14 turned thereby when the units 17 are nonrotatably mounted thereon.

I-Iaving thus described my invention what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. Bottle dispensing mechanism of the class 4 described, comprising, in combination, a cabinet, bottle holding units supported in sai-d cabinet, a cover for said cabinet, said cover being provided with openings through which bottles may be dispensed, and a mounting for the cover on the cabinet rendering the same movable out of the path of travel of any of the bottle holding units when they are to be p removed from the cabinet.

2. A bottle holder comprising a main body member, a flange adjacent the central portion of said main body member, means for detachably mounting the flange on the body member, said flange having recesses that are adapted to receive the smaller ends or necks of bottles, and means adjacent the outer portion of the body member for supporting the other ends of bottles carried by the bottle holder.

3. A bottle holding unit, comprising, in

the center thereof by which it is adapted to be mounted on a shaft for rotation thereon, a hub flange adjacent said disc, and a thin sheet metal peripheral flange having openings therein surrounded by flanges, the openings in the peripheral flange and hub flange c0- operating to support bottles carried by the unit.

4. Bottle holding and dispensing mechanism of the class described, comprising, in combination, a cabinet, a bottle holding unit, a shaft therefor, means on one side of the cabinet for slidably and rotatably receiving said shaft, another 'side of said cabinet having an opening therein to receive the shaft, and means associated with the shaft and cooperating with the said last named side of the cabinet for retaining said shaft in its operative position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN J. SCHWEITZER. 

